spotlight
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho
iaz of Girl in a C
oma, M
argar
et Cho
, Amanda P
almer and Phanie D
iaz of Girl in a C
oma. Phot
o by K
en Phillips
(l to r) Jenn Al
va and Nina D
into my stand-up, but I’m just going to do more of that.” JennAlva of Girl in a Coma stuff and work on my album so its not all consuming like my show was before.” She
shares her excitement about working with Margaret by saying,, ”Nina’s (Jenn’s continues, “It’s kind of a dramedy. I certainly am able to do kind of what I want to,
bandmate) working with Margaret on a song and once she is ready, I will come in have fun and make the part really funny, which is really cool. It’s a little quirky.” She
and put the bass and the drums to it. Yah, that’s going to be cool! She says she’s not continues… “I really look at the character as being an extension of myself. It really
that good on the guitar, but she is actually a pretty good guitar player! She’s got a is me if I wasn’t a stand up comic—if I was, you know, just a person in that job—I’d
great voice too and is a lot of fun! I’m sure her new album is going to be a blast!” probably be the same way. So to me it’s kind of me playing as myself.”
Margaret Cho fans got a preview of her musical skills on her recent sold-out Margaret takes on quite a few women-oriented issues on the show, such as un-
“Beautiful Tour” that was also filmed at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach, fair competition and office politics to insecure body issues. “I’ve always had body
California. Cho lovingly sings, “Eat Me Out” for the finale of the show. The stand- up issues, but that’s a huge part of my life, you know? I’ve always kind of …I mean, I’ll
special debuted on SHOWTIME in July and is set to be released on DVD this fall. always understand like, the pain of not feeling ’right’ in your body and not feeling
Previously, Margaret had a reality sitcom, The Cho Show with the talented Selene good enough and um… certainly, the show addresses that in a very wonderful
Luna on VH1. Cho said, “She really makes me laugh so much and she’s such a star. I and humane and exciting and funny and dramatic way—which is what made
think I’m really good at bonding with and nurturing new talents. I’m really proud me want to do the project in the first place. You know, they’re gonna talk about
of her and my accomplishments with her and how far she’s come. I just love her!” body issues and the way that women compete with each other in a really great
Luna and Cho also recently did a live dance and burlesque show called “Sensuous way, and to treat them with such respect and dignity and love and…I really admire
Woman.” “I think somehow some of that dance vibe will come into my new CD. the creators. Like the show just talks about how we really are doing a disservice to
Half of the record will be guitar and the other half will be techno. Sort of like Lady feminism, and all of us struggle when women try to keep each other down and
Gaga and Britney Spears, and the other half will be like singer / songwriter stuff I think, the show definitely explores that and it explores the way that we value
which is fun.” certain kinds of beauty over other kinds and I think that’s really an important thing
Margaret is currently living in Atlanta filming a new series, now airing on the to look at too.”
Lifetime network titled Drop Dead Diva. Cho said, “I play Terri who is the assistant Cho has been awarded many community honors but says she never set out to
to the lead character in the show, Jane Bingham, who is a lawyer. It’s like a legal be an activist. She explains, “No. I never even thought I could do that; really I was
drama but the premise is a little different. She sort of reincarnated in this different just going to be a comedian and never thought about it. I think because I’m un-
body and she has to learn all this new stuff and I help her out, presenting her with usual, because I made it in America, and because I’m queer and I talk about queer
the cases. It’s pretty cool, I really love the show.” When asked about how this show issues, being feminist, being Asian American; all those factors influence when you
is different from her first sitcom, American Girl, Margaret explains, “It’s different apply your values to your work and try to talk about your issues. If people want to
because it’s not a sitcom, it’s a drama and also I’m a supporting character, so I don’t acknowledge that then that’s wonderful! I am very proud of all of the things that I
have to carry the whole show, which is a lot of fun for me. I can still do stand up have been able to accomplish.”
46 RAGE monthly | August 2009
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